Having the players vote for individaul awards works for my team. I've done this 2 ways: (1) hand a line-up to the players at the end of the last game and tell them to mark their top 3, 4 or 5 (depends on the number of All Tournament patches we've won), and (2)ask for email votes after I send the team stats and a tournament summary. Number (2) works best, but delays giving out the patches until the next tournament.

PS St George gives only individual awards (like the Olymics)and no team award - what do you think?

In response to many comments from players and managers SS USA has decided to combine all age and all skill into a single division. Thus, there will be only one National winner starting in 2011. SS USA is developing an equalizer system to ensure a competitive environment for all teams. Although not yet cast in stone, the following are some ideas that SS USA is considering.

Bats: SS USA has consistently supported the use of the most powerful bats, so SS USA will not outlaw any bat. However, to make teams equal, SS USA will enforce a choke up policy. Older players (75 and up) will be allowed to hold the bat all the way down to the handle knob. Younger players (45 and below) must choke up on the bat, up to 18.6” from the knob.

Number of Defensive Players: It might put a bit of pressure on some managers’ recruiting skills, but SS USA expects to allow older or weaker teams to have up to 21 defensive players and the strongest teams will have only four on defense (like the King and His Court). Twenty-one players seem like a lot, but SS USA will require limits, such as allowing only 11 in the outfield.

Courtesy Runners: The weaker or older teams will be allowed unlimited courtesy runners and in some situations vs. substantially stronger teams, the courtesy runner will start at first base while the batter is up.

Safety Bases: Because of the possible danger of a 40-year old crashing into a much older player, SS USA will draw a 6 foot circle around every base and the younger player will be deemed “out” when the older player touches the circle or any place within the circle.

Run Equalizers: SS USA has heard the complaints about the 5 or 7 runs given to weaker teams and will reduce the run equalizer to only one run per game per age difference. SS USA understands that the run differential might appear excessive in some cases (a 75 year old team will receive 25 runs when playing a 50s team), research has shown that 50s win by an average of 28 runs vs. 75s, so the advantage is still with the younger players.

Pitchers: SS USA is not sure how this will work, but will experiment with multiple, simultaneous pitchers. Older and weaker teams will be permitted to use up to 3 pitchers at one time. They will all go through the pitching motion, but only two of them will pitch a ball – one ball is real and the other is a fake ball. The younger, stronger batter must decide which of the balls is real and which is fake. A strike will be called if the batter swings at the fake ball. SS USA is working with the National UIC to work out the umpire’s instructions.

Home Runs: You should all feel happy that there will be no limits on the number of home runs. However, SS USA will be fiddling with the distance of the fences. One suggestion is to start with the fences at 100 feet and move them out 10 feet after every home run. This way the fences will always end up further away than the best batter, regardless of the age or skill level of every team. SS USA believes this is fair and is talking to Halliburton about a fence-moving design that will work.

Rating Appeals: Since there will be only one division, the only appeal will be for age. Any player who thinks he is immature can submit affidavits from three psychologists which will be reviewed by the National AAA (Age Appeal Agency).

Roster Regions: All teams can recruit players from anywhere; however the stronger teams must have at least one lineup-player from a foreign country. So, for example, a 60s team must have one player from Europe, a 50s team must have a player from the Middle East, and a 40s team must have a player from Iceland, preferably Reykjavik.

Your comments and suggestions are requested, but must be submitted only on April 1st.

I bought a bag-cover from REI for $20 which is designed to protect and secure the bat bag. It works okay and the Tanel bag fits into it. The bag-cover folds into a very small package and can be put into the bat bag when not flying.

IMO, one cause of too few teams in the Major+ division: Teams disband, reorganize, or stop going to big tournaments because they believe they have no chance versus the previous year's World's Champion. This is unique in Major+ divisions because the winners of the Worlds don't "move up."

How about instituting a 5-run equalizer for one year to those M+ teams that didn't win the Worlds. So all M+ winners of the 2009 Worlds in Phoenix would have to play with a 5-run deficit, but for only one year (unless it again wins in 2010). This might get more M+ teams to participate.

Because Las Vegas and Ft Myers are played after the Worlds (2009), they are considered the first tournaments of the following year (2010). It would be obvious if they were played in January 2010, but the weather in Vegas won't allow it.

Then, since they are for the following year (2010), teams are permitted to pick-up players who are too young this year (2009), but will turn to the next age bracket the following year (2010).

It would be unfair if the winners of these tournaments were permitted to play in the TOC because they won with younger players.

Another point: many teams use Vegas/Ft Myers as tryouts for new players who might join the team in 2010.

Maury Wills collapsed on Tuesday AM after a double header at Delta Park. A few players, including Dr. Leon Speroff, fought valiantly to revive Maury, but his heart was not beating and he wasn't breathing. The Fire Department and EMT arrived about 15 minutes after Maury's collapse and revived him with a full-court press of activities, including using a defibrillator. Although still unconscious, Maury's heart was beating and he was breathing on his own.

As of today (Thursday PM), Maury is still hanging in there. His heart beat and blood pressure are steady and the doctors have taken him off sedatives. When he regains consciousness, the doctors will evaluate him for neurological damages.

Maury, who is truly one of the good guys of senior softball, lives in Vancouver, Washington and plays for the NW 80s.

Here's my point using a personal example from a few years ago: I was managing aa appropriately rated AA team. Because a few of my players couldn't make a USSSA tournament, I picked up a few excellent players just to be able to play. I didn't hide anything and no one questioned my roster.

There was only one other team there and we beat them in the IF game by one run and was immediately moved to AAA. This caused about one year of agony, getting our butts kicked through the required 3 tournaments (We were 1 and 18 as a AAA before getting re-rated).

At that time, using Summit rules, it didn't make a difference that the players I used in the USSSA were not, and would never be on my SS USA roster.

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